Epic Package includes: Access Fund membership (with or without T-shirt), Access Fund limited edition Prana Hoody, Royal Robbins Rockcraft (out of print), Trango Piranha knife, MountainSmith cell phone carrier, a Nalgene, Clif Bar, and some All Terrain sunscreen.

2 sizes available: $55 or $62

Quantities even more limited than before—Order by December 18^th for delivery by Christmas.

Claim Your Free Calendar!

Happy Holidays! We’re always asking…now we’re giving.

We’d like to send you a FREE 2007 CALENDAR (Yes, FREE though you pay the shipping and handling).

To claim yours, visit www.accessfund.org/calendar today!

No strings attached. These are available because of a gracious donation from photographer James Frank

NATIONAL NEWS

Happy Holidays

From Steve Matous, Executive Director, Access Fund

The Holiday season is upon us. For the Access Fund, this is when most of the resources that keep us all climbing come in the door. It’s exciting and stressful at the same time—so much of what we can accomplish as a community of climbers hinges on the financial support of our members.

Mother Theresa said, “we can not do great things, we can only do small things with great love”. We all share a love for climbing and a passion for keeping our climbing areas protected for ourselves and future generations.

We received a donation yesterday from 8 week old Grayson Shurr, son of AF staffer Robb Shurr. Granted, he may have had a little help from his dad, but having two children of my own it underscored the importance of what we do here at the Access Fund.

It’s not necessarily altruism that motivates us to keep our climbing areas open—it’s the belief and pursuit of our passions and dreams. We want future generations to experience the same love of our vertical playgrounds that we are able to enjoy. We do whatever it takes to make this a reality.

At this time of year, it takes financial contributions to keep our work moving forward coming closer to realizing our vision. Please do your part as a climber and give to the organization that supports your dreams—if not for you, for future climbers.

On behalf of the climbing community, a heartfelt thanks for the contributions you’ve already made and for considering an additional donation this Holiday season. If you know climbers who are not members of the Access Fund, please tell them why you contribute and why it’s important for every climber to be an Access Fund member.

Best Holiday Wishes,

Steve Matous

Contribute here: www.accessfund.org/support

Record Rain Forces Closure of Mt. Rainier National Park, WA

Mount Rainier is a restless mountain. The roads, bridges, trails, and campgrounds we build are secondary to the elemental forces that created-and continue to transform-this landscape we love. Our great works of human enterprise will fade away with time. The mountain will endure.

For the first time since Mt. St. Helens blew its top, Mt. Rainier National Park closed its gates to the public due to a torrential November 5-6 storm that also caused extensive damage to other regional national parks and forests in the Pacific Northwest.

After nearly 18 inches of rain fell in 36 hours, massive flood damage forced the closure of Mount Rainier National Park when high water damaged a variety of park roads, trails, campgrounds, buildings and facilities. Many power, water and sewer lines were also demolished. The first big snowfall of the season hit a few days after the rain, and so a final damage assessment will have to wait until spring. Photographs of the flood damage can be viewed at http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/upload/floodPP.pdf (5MB).

Park officials closed the main park road from the Nisqually Entrance to Paradise (the center for winter mountaineering) and Highway 123 is also closed due to a rockslide. State Routes 410 & 123 and the Paul Peak/Mowich Lake areas are also closed at the park boundaries by winter conditions but remain open to normal, non-motorized winter activities such as hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Walk-in access is available to Carbon River area trailheads by parking at the entrance and hiking the designated rough route along the washed out road. For more information see http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/november-2006-flooding.htm#CP_JUMP_137497

The Park said repairs could cost an estimated $29.85 million, most of which will go towards road repairs. NPS staff will share information on decisions, timelines, and other factors affecting flood recovery. For information on these public meetings see http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/upload/CmmtyMeetings.doc. The park plans to expand its volunteer program next spring to assist with flood cleanup and trail reconstruction. Individuals who are interested in helping may contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385 or Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov. The Access Fund will be offering our assistance to Mount Rainier National Park regarding how the climbing community can help with park reconstruction. Stay tuned to the Access Fund Enews for updates on Mt. Rainier NP recovery efforts and how you can help out.

Interior Department to Raise Federal Land Fees to $80

Starting January 1, the $80 America the Beautiful Pass will go on sale and become the new annual recreation pass serving five federal agencies that manage public land.

The new $80 pass will replace the $50 National Parks Pass and the $65 Golden Eagle Passport. The new pass effectively raises the price to access recreation areas across the country; Congress authorized the new pass in 2004, but didn’t set a price until recently.

The America the Beautiful Pass will provide access to the National Park System, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Like the current National Parks Pass, at least 80 percent of the money gathered from sales of the new pass will remain in the park where it is sold to pay for facilities-maintenance projects, such as road resurfacing and new visitor center exhibits.

This new America the Beautiful Pass has already proven controversial due to the higher cost and concerns that funds will not remain where they were collected (http://www.wildwilderness.org/blog/atb-illegal.html). Other pass critics predicted the fee was so high it would reduce visitation, pricing people out of visiting the parks (http://www.westernslopenofee.org/NoFee/news.php.

The Interior Department defends the fee increase by saying that the pass will provide a cost-effective and easy option for people who visit multiple federal recreation sites.

The passes may be obtained beginning in January at http://store.usgs.gov/pass and www.recreation.gov though if you purchase a current National Parks pass before January 2007 you will be able to use it throughout the year.

For more, see http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/american_the_beautiful_pass_goes_on_sale_in_january/C466/L466/ and http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_4786241.

**By buying a Parks pass before January 1^st through the Access Fund website (http://www.accessfund.org/membershop) or by using this link (https://buy.nationalparks.org/default.asp?ref=accessfund), $10 comes right back to the Access Fund. So do it before the end of the year!

Human-Powered Outdoor Alliance Holds Series of Recreation Meetings In Washington, DC

The human-powered Outdoor Alliance (Access Fund, American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society, International Mountain Biking Association, and Winter Wildlands Alliance) met in Washington, DC in late November to continue internal discussions and to meet with several high-level federal land managers concerning recreation policy through the Federal Recreation Director Summit.

While almost 150 million Americans annually participate in recreation activities such as hiking, mountain biking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking and backcountry skiing, the political voice of this large constituency is not reflective of its size, and is often overshadowed by broader groups with different recreational agendas.

The Outdoor Alliance formed as a coalition of national human-powered recreation advocacy groups to protect and secure quality outdoor recreation opportunities on the nation’s public lands and waters through a collective voice.

At the Summit the executive directors and policy chiefs from each Outdoor Alliance organization met with high level federal recreation officials from the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers and US Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss current recreation management challenges and to communicate better ways to work together cooperatively in the future ensuring appropriate recreational opportunities on public lands and waters. The Outdoor Alliance also met with USDA Undersecretary Mark Rey and Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett to discuss our unique concerns.

Moving forward the Outdoor Alliance will represent the voice of human-powered outdoor enthusiasts by coordinating and mobilizing the alliance’s collective grassroots on key issues, and by developing unified public messages on recreation and public lands policy.

For more information, Contact Adam Cramer, Leiter & Cramer PLLC, abc@leitercramer.com, 202.386.7671.

AREA UPDATES

Tollhouse, CA

By Patrick Paul, Southern Sierra Climbers, Association

In recent months, a new landowner has put up a gate at the intersection of Tollhouse road and the unpaved access road which has been the traditional way to the top of Tollhouse Rock for climbers. Tollhouse features dozens of one to four pitch free climbs and has been a popular winter climbing area for locals from Fresno, Bakersfield and the greater Southern California area for decades and sits on public land.

Prior to installing the gate, the landowner had verbally accosted some climbers, threatened to have people arrested, or tried to intimidate climbers in other ways. The access road has been used for years by climbers, four-wheelers, hang-gliders, hunters, and youthful revelers from the nearby communities of Prather and Tollhouse. The landowner has complained that his guests' cars have been vandalized, people have been firing shotguns and rifles near his home, and that a great deal of trash has been strewn in the area.

Tollhouse Rock is on Forest Service land and the F.S. claims that only a small portion of the road is privately owned. However, at this time it is unclear whether the landowner has a legal right to block the road or whether the Forest Service can legally compel him to keep it open. At least two gates have been erected and then torn out by persons unknown. Climbers are advised to use the longer power line road that lies directly west of the private road until either legalities can be ascertained, or the landowner can be reasoned with and an agreement met.

Closure Threat Becomes Reality at Torrent Falls, KY

By Bill Strachan, Executive Director Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition

In response to continued disrespectful behavior by some climbers, the owners of Torrent Falls, a popular Red River Gorge crag, have decided to close the area to unrestricted climbing.

Guests renting a cabin at Torrent Falls resort may still climb on the property. This closure was announced and made effective on Friday, November 24, 2006.

When the closure was first threatened earlier this spring, the RRGCC convinced the owners to write a set of rules and give climbers a chance to show that they could follow them. Unfortunately not all climbers were following the rules.

Recent flagrant incidents cited by the owners in explaining their reasons for moving forward with the closure included someone who leashed their dog to a “No Dogs Allowed” sign. Another disturbing incident occurred when the owners were showing close friends around their property and came across a woman urinating out in the open despite the fact that the owners have provided a port-o-let for use by climbers.

In addition to the Torrent rules having been posted in the parking area as well as the RRGCC kiosk at Miguel’s, the rules and the tenuous situation at Torrent was made widely known to the climbing community on various websites, in the Access Fund e-news, and in the RRGCC newsletter.

All indications are that 2006 was the busiest season yet for the Red River Gorge. While the RRGCC will look at ways to improve climber education about access issues during its’ planning for 2007, we are somewhat at a loss as to how to deal with climbers who blatantly disregarded very simple and common sense behavioral guidelines that could have kept Torrent open.

We ask that climbers please respect the tough decision made by Mark and Kathy Meyer to discontinue open climbing access at Torrent. Also please remember that disrespectful behavior and failure to follow rules at any climbing area in Red River Gorge, whether on private or public land, has the potential to negatively affect access.

Know whose property you are climbing on and what is expected of you as a guest on that property. Detailed information on the various areas and guidelines are readily available in Ray Ellington’s Red River Gorge guidebook.

Southeastern Climbers Coalition pays off Boat Rock Mortgage ahead of Schedule, GA

By Chad Wiykle, Triple Crown Organizer

We wanted to share details on the finale of The Triple Crown Bouldering Series--by many accounts the Stone Fort/Little Rock City Competition was one of the best outdoor bouldering events ever! We actually kicked-off the weekend at Rock/Creek Outfitters on Friday December 1^st at 7:30pm with a fantastic slideshow/movie presentation and poster signing delivered by Access Fund ambassador and Board member Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden. We had a great turnout for this presentation with over 150 people in attendance.

As for comp day, the weather was absolutely perfect--cobalt blue skies and temperatures in the low 50s made for ideal climbing conditions. Over 450 climbers and bouldering enthusiasts from thirty states and two countries were present at this competition, and over 1,200 participants were in attendance throughout the entire series.

The goal for this year’s series was to raise enough money for the Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition to gain permanent access and ownership of Boat Rock —a unique granite boulderfield and green space located inside the metro of Atlanta, Ga. When we officially began the series in October, over $11,000 remained on the note for Boat Rock. Through the efforts of this event, our sponsors, and donations from climbers attending this series, we have achieved this goal.

Carolina Climbers Coalition, NC Update

By Anthony Love, CCC Vice President

Last year was a grand one for the CCC. Some of our accomplishments include: assisting in the inclusion of Rumbling Bald into Hickory Nut State Park (a new North Carolina state park), purchasing 50 acres, (which includes Laurel Knob the highest rock face in the eastern United States) and, opening Laurel Knob for public climbing. Funds for the purchase came through worldwide donations, contributions from the outdoor industry, and the financial and resource support of the Access Fund.

All this activity was primarily due to the efforts of John Myers and Sean Cobourn. John is a former board member of the Access Fund and a significant contributor to the Laurel Knob Project. Sean Cobourn, a founding Director of the Access Fund and current AF Regional Coordinator, boldly led the CCC into a new era as an organization, planned and facilitated the acquisition of the legendary Laurel Knob. Sean’s motivation, drive and vision transformed the CCC from a small grassroots organization into a visible and respected climbing non-profit organization. As a tribute, the Access Fund awarded Sean the prestigious Menocal Lifetime Achievement Award as testament to his climbing advocacy. The CCC is especially indebted to the incredible efforts and accomplishments of John Myers and Sean Cobourn.

The CCC held officer elections at our annual meeting during the Hound Ears event of the Triple Crown Bouldering Competition. CCC officers include Sean Barb, President; Anthony Love, Vice President; Edward Medina, Secretary; and Aram Attarian, treasurer. In addition the new officers have appointed a board to oversee and provide support in business matters. The new officers are excited about the challenges and opportunities on the road ahead.

The new officers hit the ground running with the creation of a Climbing Management Plan for Laurel Knob (for more info please visit www.carolinaclimbers.org), implementation of a new system to manage membership, and their continued efforts to open the Asheboro Boulders to climbers.

Once again, I am proud to say Laurel Knob is OPEN! The CCC has a comprehensive management plan in its FINAL stages of revision and implementation. During this time and since its opening, the CCC has come up with a general set of guidelines for public use at Laurel Knob. These are posted at Laurel Knob on the climbers kiosk, and on the CCC website (www.carolinaclimbers.org). We encourage all climbers to visit and enjoy this incredible resource, but would like to remind all to please respect the guidelines created for its use.

Washington Climbers Coalition

By Jonah Harrison, Access Fund Regional Coordinator

The Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC), an Access Fund Affiliate, Reiter Trail Watch and state land managers have improved safety from objective hazards in Index, Washington. Reiter Trail Watch is a not for profit group of volunteers working to preserve, protect, increase awareness and maintain accessibility for all outdoor enthusiasts.

Index is a popular climbing area outside of Seattle, with hundreds of steep granite sport and traditional routes up to Grade IV in length. The area around Index is also very popular with off-road vehicle (ORV) enthusiasts. ORVs allow access to the top of the Upper Town Wall, a large wall perched on the mountainside outside the town of Index. In recent years, various objects have been thrown from the top (from beer bottles to car fenders) and there has been many close calls with climbers narrowly avoiding being hit.

Washington State Parks put up several signs at the top of the wall, warning of the danger to climbers below and threatening prosecution of those who throw objects off the wall, but these measures have proved ineffective.

During the past summer, Reiter Trail Watch and Washington State Parks devised a road termination plan involving placing a barricade that would prevent motorized access to the top of the wall. Recently, with a generous donation from the Washington Climbers Coalition, the Reiter Trail Watch installed a sturdy, permanent barrier in late October that will keep ORVs from accessing the top of the cliff. This reduces the risk that anyone will be able to drive to the top of the wall and throw objects down on climbers, and is a great example of meeting goals through cooperation between local recreation groups and government land managers.

Boone Climbers Coalition Update

By Anthony Love, President

The Boone Climbers Coalition (BCC) had another active fall and winter season. We have re-strengthened our relationship with the National Park Service, our Access Fund Board Members and officers, and most importantly our membership.

One of the BCC members, Zachary Lesch-Huie, offered us a unique opportunity to work with the American Chestnut Foundation and the Blue Ridge Parkway to help a project to restore chestnut tree populations. American Chestnut Foundation scientist, Paul Cisco worked with BCC members to collect “burrs”, which contain Chestnut seeds, from trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway and on Grandmother Mountain. The seeds collected during this project will be used to develop a hybrid strain on chestnut tree that resists the chestnut blight, a disease that is responsible for nearly wiping out this species. The American Chestnut Foundation will reintroduce these hybrids in areas throughout the US in an effort to restore chestnut tree populations.

This year the BCC hosted their annual Adopt-a-Crag event at Hawksbill within the Linville Gorge Wilderness. The trail to approach Hawksbill follows a steep grade that is constantly under attack from erosion. Twelve members helped build water bars on the existing trail and brush-in sections of spider trails up to the main cliffs at Hawksbill.

Shortly after the Adopt-a-Crag, the BCC had another record turn-out for their third annual Sudz and Slidez event at the Black Cat Burrito. The Sudz and Slidez events have been the most effective way to get members of our community together. These events have been great venues for our meetings and fundraisers. This fall, we were lucky enough to have Access Fund Ambassador Jason Kehl give a presentation. Jason entertained a crowd of 115 people with a slideshow from his most recent trip to Japan. Jason and our many sponsors made this another incredibly successful and fun event for everyone.

News from the Blue Ridge Parkway:

The BCC provided comments to a newly proposed plan to develop a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway known as the Moses Cone Memorial Park. The Blowing Rock Boulders lie within the Moses Cone Memorial Park. This plan provides for the enhancement of cultural learning in the park, but also offered closure of this important climbing resource as one alternative they could consider. While some of the proposed alternatives do pose threats to the Blowing Rock Boulders, there are also other alternatives that offer the enhancement of trails into the boulderfield and continuation of bouldering activity.

The Park Service has sought public input to this plan and the BCC has been adamant about getting the local and regional climbing community to provide this necessary input. We look forward to seeing what the next round of planning produces and feel confident a balanced plan that includes climbing can be achieved.

In other news, members of the BCC were invited to attend the Annual Board Meeting of the Access Fund this fall in Lake Lure North Carolina. The experience proved once again to be valuable and educational for all involved. The opportunity to sit down and talk face to face with the board and staff is a great asset for both the BCC as well as the Carolina Climbers Coalition who were generous enough to host us.

For more info about the Boone Climbers Coalition and to join our email list, please visit www.ncbouldering.com/BCC.htm

Wisconsin Outdoor Access Update, WI

By Nick Rhoads, President

In 2007 WOA is looking to catalogue and define usage at all Wisconsin climbing areas. If you have any information about usage issues at a crag near you please send all info to Nick Rhoads at rhoadsclimbs@yahoo.com

Kootenai Klimbers Update, ID

Rusty Baille, President

The Kootenai Klimbers are strategizing on how to open up Outlaw Wall near Post Falls, Idaho. This is the finest cliff in our area with 100 hundred feet of solid granite-gneiss climbing but, alas, it sits on private land. There are several semi-completed routes on The Outlaw and early climbers had tacit permission to climb here. With an increase in climbing pressure, and most local landowners rushing to develop their holdings into housing estates, we need to “speak now - or forever lose” this great crag.

In the Spring of 2007 we will form a group to work on access. This group will be led by one of the climbing activists who did such an impressive job of acquiring Big Rock – part of the Rocks of Sharon, just south of Spokane WA.

Our second initiative is to clean up and legitimize our boulders. This project is being inspired by Jason Baker who grew up around here and knows all the secret spots. If there’s a chalk smear on an impossible hold way up there, especially if the landing is “interesting”, it’s probably his!

Bouldering in the Pacific Northwest is rather like organic gardening. Whoever said that mosses and lichens take thousands of years to grow should check out our local varieties! While such biotica could perhaps help rehabilitate more stricken ecosystems, it makes rocksports here impossibly slimy. The solution (hopefully) is to work closely with the land managers to designate key areas as biological preserves and viewsites while identifying good bouldering that can be reasonably and legitimately cleaned for climbing. Maybe then I can get my moneys worth from my new super-thick, super-wide bouldering pad!

Access NJ Update

By John Anderson, President

Access NJ website has been down for the past 2-3 months and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please be patient and if you are interested in donating web skills to update and improve the site (www.climbnj.com) please contact John Anderson at info@climbnj.com. Please note that this is also the new general email address for Access NJ.

Access NJ continues discussions with staff and administration of Hunterdon County Park System over the last 3 months. We are seeking volunteers to present further information. Access NJ’s goal is to have the climbing community adopt (per Hunterdon County's own, new, regulations) the Sourland Bouldering Site. Contact John Anderson: info@climbnj.com

Latest News from NEVCA, VT

By Matthew Elliott, President

In time for the beginning of the ice climbing season, Northeastern Vermont Climber's Alliance has stocked the rescue cache near the south end of the ice routes on Mt. Pisgah. A second cache has been constructed, and will be installed in the Last Gentleman Ampitheater on December 16. Each cache contains a rescue backboard/sled and basic first aid supplies.

Funding for the project was provided by generous donations to an online fundraiser organized by Access Fund Regional Coord